Potato sorter and cleaner.



Wit" zone 7 PATENTED JAN. 21, 1908'. J. B. HOWELL.

POTATO SORTER AND CLEANER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29,1906.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Q Vitne/aaeo 1 m (lttomwq No. 877,462. PATENTED JAN. 21, 1908. J. E. HOWELL.

'POTATO SORTER AND CLEANER.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 29.1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3 maeulfoz JZTJ /OweZZ JOHN ELMER HOW-ELL, OF SPEARFISH, SOUTH DAKOTA. f

POTATO SORTER AND CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed dune 29. 1906. Serial No. 324,057.

Patented Jan. 21, 1908. v

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that 1, JOHN ELMER HOWELL, citizen of theUnited States, residing at Spearfish, in the county of Lawrence and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato Sorters and Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved machine for sorting and cleaning potatoes, and the invention consists essentially in an improved machineof this character which embodies ahopper into which the potatoes may be fed, a slatted revoluble casing designed to receive the potatoesinto its interior as they are fed from the hopper and to remove the sprouts from thesame by a tumbling action,the sprouts and dirt being directed by a discharge spout to a point underneath the hopper, the smaller potatoes being discharged through the'slats near the other end ofthe machine, and the larger andmarketable potatoes being discharged by means ofa' spout in a thoroughly cleaned condition.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire, a knowledge of the details of construction of the means-for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1' is a perspective view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionalview thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line a:x of Fig.2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred .to in the following description and'indicated .in' all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1' designates the supporting frame work embodying standards or legs braced as shown,

and 2 designates the cleaning and sorting casing, which is in the form of a truncated cone di siposed horizontally in the frame he casing- 2 consists of a series of the casin is, mounted ron the revol-uble shaft 5. rhese slats are 0 uniform width so that owing to the flaring of the sides of the casing the spaces between the slats are narrower toward the smaller end of the-casing than at the larger end. The shaft-5 is journaled at one end in a boxing or bearing 6 se i cured to theoutenside of a hopper-7 sup- 1 ported by the frame work at one. end thereof, and said hopper is provided with a projecting. annular spout 8 adapted to insure the feeding of potatoes from the hopper into the revoluble casing 2. At; its other end the shaft 5 is journaled in the frame and is provided at such end with a bevel pinion-9 meshing with a similar pinion 10. ona shaft 11 journaled at one end of the frame work and extending preferably at right angles to the shaft -5. handle by which it may be turned to effect the revolution of the shaft 5 and a consequent rotation of the casing 2. Underneath that end of the casing which is adjacent the hopper, is mounted a spout 12 the discharge end of which extends outwardly from the frame underneath the hopper as shown. Said discharge spout 12 is intended to carry' off the sprouts and other refuse from-the potatoes. At the discharge end of the frame work another spout 13 is provided, said latterspout being contiguous to the discharge end of the casing 2 and being adapted to receive the larger and marketable potatoes and. to convey them into a sack or the like.

I In the practical operation of the device the potatoes are fed into the hopper 7 and thence ass into the casing 2, which is re-' volved 'y turning the shalt. 11. As the potatoes are tumbled around inside of the'casing 2 the sprouts will be knocked ofi and sprouts and dirt separated from the potatoes and discharged bythe spout 12, While the smaller potatoes-will be permitted to drop' out through the slats to the'ground or'into suitable receptacles designed to catch them, and the larger potatoes will be discharged from the spout 13 in a thoroughly cleaned condition.

I As illustrated in'the drawings, one end of the frame work is rovided with an extensiblefoot 1.4'which 1n the present instance is constituted by a board or cross bar and directly supports" one end of the machine. The bar 14 is connected to the legs at that end of the frame work by set screws 15 passingthrough verticalslots '16 in the bar so that the barmay be raised and lowered and consequentlymais'e and lower the dischar e end of the devicejv By this arrangement t e casing 2 may betilted to a greater or less de- The shaft 11 is provided with a t greeso that the potatoes may be' retained therein for a longer or shorter-time according frame-work and provided upon its inner face with anannular dischargp spout, an inclined shaft passing through t e discharge end of the hopper and having its opposite endsjournaled respectivelyupon the frame-work and the Outerside of the hopper, one end of the shaft bein provided wit a beveled ion, a revolub e casin carried by the s aft and rotatable therewit the said casing comprising a series of spaced slats and being-in the form of a truncated cone, a 'dischargegospout mounted upon the frame-work below the smaller end of the casing and receiving the sprouts and refusepassing thertathrou'gh;

a second discharge spout, mounted upon the opposite end of the frame-work and receiv- 7 ing the potatoes passing through the larger 25 end of-the casing, an o erating shaft mountedu'p on the frame-worlz and carfying a bevel pinion meshing with the bevel inion u on the v first mentioned inclined s aft, an a cross bar connecting the lowerfextrernities of 30 I one pair of thesup'porting legs'and having a pin and slot connection therewithf whereby' one end of the framecan be adjustedgto'regur late the inclinationof the ,casi1igi I v In testimony whereof I afiix my signature as in prejsence of two witnesses;

, 1JOHNEI1MERH0WELTLTIL-48.1"" Witnesses.

RUDOLPH RooL'L,

JOHN D'. KINGSLEY. 

